Jesus, the End of Fear

I grew up practicing Buddhism in Cambodia. When I was 10, my mother was killed by a Khmer Rouge. Fear captivated my heart, and I was taken to Buddhist monks for relief. They chanted over me, but the fear grew worse. I started to feel as though evil spirits were around me. Sometimes I felt that I could see them.

Thousands of people were being killed by the new Communist leaders. I was placed in a concentration camp for children and was forced to work more than 14 hours a day with little food. I became sick.

After four years, my family escaped to a refugee camp in Thailand. My Buddhist father had remarried. When my stepmother became a Christian, he was very angry with her. 

I had said that I could never forget Buddha. But as I was going to the Buddhist temple, I saw a group of Christians singing. They had a joy that I had never seen before. Many had lived through the terrible things that I had been through. One day I prayed to the Christian God, "If You are the true God, then please let me be well and stop seeing evil spirits." From that day I got well and stopped feeling that evil spirits were around me. The paralyzing fear was gone. 

I began to read the Bible and pray. Several months later, I was understanding clearly that Jesus died for my sins and rose again. He is the True Messiah and Deliverer. He has power over all evil spirits. 

In Buddhism there is no hope to be forgiven of sin. There is no savior. In Jesus, I know that I have been saved and forgiven. The Spirit who lives in my heart gives me joy and peace. I don't have to fear death, hell or evil spirits. I have been adopted into the family of the King of Kings. 

Americans are blessed to have known about the true God. It makes me sad when I hear that some Americans turn away from Jesus to believe in reincarnation and Buddhism. Some have forsaken true riches for a trinket.

I long to serve the Lord and to share the truth of Jesus to anyone who will listen. I am applying through the International Mission Board to go back to Cambodia to tell the good news of salvation that can set sinners free. 

Natasha S. V., Richardson, Texas, USA